Angry Detroit Citizens Fund RoboCop Statue

[Tom Goldman]

Angry Detroit Citizens Fund RoboCop Statue

A statue of RoboCop is going up in Detroit even if the government isn't behind it.

In early February, a tweet sparked an RoboCop [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107637-Detroit-Mayor-Refuses-to-Build-RoboCop-Statue] statue in Detroit. City mayor Dave Bing replied to the tweet, denying the possibility of one being erected with government support. Detroit's citizens weren't happy with his reply, so they took matters into their own hands.

A nonprofit organization called Imagination Station Detroit put together a Kickstarter page [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/imaginationstation/detroit-needs-a-statue-of-robocop] to acquire the funds needed to build a statue of RoboCop without the government's help. With a goal of $50,000 to make it happen, ISD has already raised $55,000 as of this writing with 37 days to go. It's official, a RoboCop statue will be put up in Detroit.

ISD spoke with various sculptors and metalworkers to determine how it'd be possible to design the statue. They've contracted an artist named Casey V. Westbrook [http://www.caseyvwestbrook.com/CVWestbrook/Current.html] who has the experience needed to create a 7-foot-tall, weathered statue of the greatest cyborg the world has ever known. The location where RoboCop will be placed is still being determined, but ISD has a few ideas in mind already.

According to ISD, additional donations will expand the project and lead to "bigger and bigger things with a better and better impact on Detroit." Simply contributing a dollar gets your name on an online donor list, while larger donations can earn a RoboCop pin, original t-shirt, or two drinks at a local Detroit pub. This just goes to show you, if you want to improve your city, get a cult-classic film involved. Or a cyborg.

Thanks Root_of_all_evil [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/The_root_of_all_evil]!

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[Booze Zombie]

Wow, all charitable organisations should start like this.
"Draw 'em in with a beloved icon and keep moving up from there!"

 

[Cherry Cola]

I can really feel the anger coming from the Citizens of Detroit! Grrrr-Oh wait, I can't, because they aren't angry. A couple of nerds were whining about their silly dreams not getting fulfilled, but they hardly warranted such a headline. Oh news, how you continue to mislead me.

 

[twm1709]

There is hope for this world yet.

 

[dex-dex]

I will say that is pretty awesome that they are building a robocop.
also why does it matter if some robocop fans are getting a statue? wait did robocop take place in Detroit?
EDIT: yes it does and maybe Detroit needs to have their own robocop just like in the movie.

 

[Brian Hendershot]

Wow...this is what you want to put up to improve the city of Detroit? That place was a dump before the automotive giants began to leave...

Just saying, you could do a hell of a lot more to improve Detroit then put a statue of RoboCop in it...

 

[Veloxe]

I just hope it can live up to the expectations, and not be made out of paper mache, noodles, and glitter.

 

[Nikki_Viper]

There is hope for this world yet.

Bit of an exaggerated claim? It kind of grinds me when people say things like there's no hope for this world just because the government wasn't going to spend a ton of money making a robo-cop statue when it had other ideas in mind when they meant "Improving the city"

 

[Nikki_Viper]

I just hope it can live up to the expectations, and not be made out of paper mache, noodles, and glitter.

For $55,000, I think that would be ALOT of paper mache and noodles.

 

[hansari]

Gundam Statue...robocop...gundam statue...robocop...

Sigh...this is nonsense. Do you actually expect a motionless robocop statue to help us when Japan invades with its mobile Gundams!?!

 

[Veloxe]

I just hope it can live up to the expectations, and not be made out of paper mache, noodles, and glitter.

For $55,000, I think that would be ALOT of paper mache and noodles.

Nah, most of it will be spent on the glitter I would imagine.

 

[twm1709]

There is hope for this world yet.

Bit of an exaggerated claim? It kind of grinds me when people say things like there's no hope for this world just because the government wasn't going to spend a ton of money making a robo-cop statue when it had other ideas in mind when they meant "Improving the city"

lol, chill out... I was just kidding...

 

[tj236]

YES! This is great news. Now, if only they could actually create a cyborg cop to clean up Detroit...

 

[DaxStrife]

Wow...this is what you want to put up to improve the city of Detroit? That place was a dump before the automotive giants began to leave...

You, sir, obviously know nothing about Detroit, so I will forgive your libel for now.

On topic, I still find this whole thing silly: we have actual historical places in Detroit like the factory that produced the first Model T crumbling down because there's just no money in the city's budget to maintain or protect them. Unless they park the statue in front of a Detroit precinct, I doubt that statue will stay erect (go ahead, snicker if you must) for a year without being vandalized or just stolen by a super-geek.

 

[Stevepinto3]

There is hope for this world yet.

Bit of an exaggerated claim? It kind of grinds me when people say things like there's no hope for this world just because the government wasn't going to spend a ton of money making a robo-cop statue when it had other ideas in mind when they meant "Improving the city"

Fair point, but you're assuming Detroit can be "improved" to begin with. I know, I live here.

In all honestly, building a Robocop statue would have been the most pro-active thing the government's done around here in a while.

 

[Jonny49]

I wish my town had a Robocop statue.

 

[HentMas]

heh, i find it funny that here in MX we have a statue of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE

whenever a president gets in to power, if he is married, the wife will almost always build something in one of the parks, if not, make a whole park out of nowhere, its like they are "decorating" their "house" xcept its not her hous, its the frikken city they live in and its the taxpayers money they are wasting.

 

[icyneesan]

My faith in humans has been restored!!

 

[Brian Hendershot]

Wow...this is what you want to put up to improve the city of Detroit? That place was a dump before the automotive giants began to leave...

You, sir, obviously know nothing about Detroit, so I will forgive your libel for now.

On topic, I still find this whole thing silly: we have actual historical places in Detroit like the factory that produced the first Model T crumbling down because there's just no money in the city's budget to maintain or protect them. Unless they park the statue in front of a Detroit precinct, I doubt that statue will stay erect (go ahead, snicker if you must) for a year without being vandalized or just stolen by a super-geek.

Hmm... perhaps I should rephrase a bit just for you.

Your city has a low budget and I am sure that 55,000 dollars could be spent elsewhere or go to protecting actual historical places.

It's my understanding that since automakers started out sourcing ect., that lot's of people have lost their jobs, crime has increased, blah blah normal city stuff.

But I could be wrong.